Joint for artificial limbs



July 16, 1940. J. J. McCANN 2,208,276

JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL LIMBS Filed Jan. 10, 1939 INVENTOR. M 62mm 1 0 ATTORNEY.

Patented July 16, 1940 .QFF C JOINT FOR ARTIFICIAL LIMBS v John J.McCan'n, Burlington, N. J.; JfConner French, Mercer County, and John A.McCann, Burlington County, N. J., executorsofJohnJ.

McCann, deceased Application January 10, 1939, Serial No. 250,083

I a 2 Claims.

This invention relates to hinge joints and is concerned primarily withthat type of joint employed' as a kneejoint in artificial limbs.

l A hinge joint of the type with which this invention is concerned generally comprises a pair ofcomplemental' joint members. each being formed at one end with a knuckle. The knuckle onione of the lhingeimembers is formed with an opening, while the knuckle on the other memif her carries aring-like'stud which is receivedin the opening on the first. mentioned member. The meeting iaces of the two knuckles are formed with' grooves which together define a ball-race for receivingball. bearings. The stud on one of 15 the .knuckle members is interiorly threaded,-and ascrewstem is ordinarily screwed thereinto for themurpose of maintaining the assembled-relationship of the-joint. 1

In view of the panticular use to which these 20 hinge 'jointsi areput, it is important that the variouspartsbe machined to aihigh degree of accuracy so as to provide goodlsupporting effects with eliminationofany looseness or playwhile the joint isinluse. It is also extremely important 25 to guard against the accidental disassembly of the-joint which would. take placewere the screw stem to becomeloosened. Accordingly various means have been proposed inthis art for th locking of the screw stem in place.

{m 1 With the foregoing in mind this invention has in view, as its foremost sobjective, the provision of=a hinge joint of the-character above described which includes novel and highly simplified means for locking the screw stem in position. a;

35 More in detail this inventionproposes an arrangement in-which asset screw is'employed as the locking means. In incorporating a set screw into'the mechanism of the joint so as to provide the-desired locking effects, "certain conditions must be accommodated in order to achieve the desired results. ,1 l

i In the 'first place, these joints; in order to give the best results, must-be adjusted with a higl' degree of nicety. This adjustment. is obtained by the extentto which the screw stem is threaded home in the hollowstud. *When exactly the correct "tightness" has been attained it is important that the screw stem be locked accurately in that position;- Accordingly the set screw must beso assembled with the screw stem and-other parts thatit does not haveto fltintoanyipreformed recesses or notches, as any such conditionasthis would make it impossible, in many instancesgto maintain the desired exact. adjustmente; 5' :vl-t isalsoimportantathat theset screws beso loosenethe setscrew. .After the set screw has associated with the screw stem that a radial arm of suffi'cient extent be present to afford the re quiredlockinsnfiects. 5 q 1 ,v

-With, these, conditions in mind the invention has. in view, as a further object theprovision 5 of a hinge joint 20f thecharacter above. notedin which the hollow stud is; sodimehfiionedas to provide anlupp r surface into whi h a set screw is adapted' to biteh- Theset screw is carriedby the head of the stem at a point intermediate the axisof ,the stemand-its periphery. V Another particular object of the invention is the provision iof ahingejoint o f the character above noted whichlincludes a setscrew in the manner set, forth, andwlfich set screw is of a 15 type particularly 'suitedtdaccomplish the desired,;resu1ts.-r In order to assure goodlocking eifectsitris desirable that theend of the set screw Whichengages thering-like upper face of thehollow studbe peculiarly adapted to bite thereinto, and'-.yetlnot,;seriously mar thesurface.

Accordinglynthelower ;end, of the set screw is formed with a cup-shaped recess, leaving a ringlikeedge whichis, adapted to bite into the upper face of the hollow stud.

In view of; the desirability for maintaining the outer .surface pf. the joint flush,- and also tb guard. against accidental displacement of the set screw; .thmmeans, for rotating the same ;,preferably takesthe form ofa non-circular recess that is formed in the upperor outer end thereof. .This recess-.isadapted- -to.receive Wrench engaging means which !may 3 be employed to tighten or assumed its; tightened lockedpositionit is desir- 3 able that the extremity thereof lie flush or beneath. the.- headofthe stem.

Variousothenmore. detailed objects and advantages of, theainvention will in part become apparent, and inpart be hereinafter stated, as 40 the description. of. the invention proceeds. The.invention therefore,comprises a hinge joint including aapairgof hinge members each carrying. at; one end apair of cknuckles thatfare complemental toone another. Oneoftheknuck-- lesisr-iormedpwithan opening which .receives a hollow stud extending upwardly from the other knuckle; The meeting .faces of the knuckles are grooved to provide.- a-jball race which carries bearing elements. The hollow stud is interiorly threaded,.,andscrewed thereinto is a screw stem having a head which engages the knuckle formed with the opening therein to.maintainp the desired .assemblecl relationship. This head of the screw. stem carriesaset screw of a type particuv larly designed for this specific use, and which set screw engages the ring-like upper end of the hollow stud to lock the screw stem in position with respect thereto. I

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein-2f r Figure '1' is a plan view of one member of the hinge joint of this invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional showing taken about on the plane represented .by the line '2j. 2-;of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a plan view of the'other joint mem-' her, while Figure 4 is a section taken aboutonthe' plane represented by the line 44 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a sectional view through the screw stem per se bringing out the mannerin which in detail in Figures 1 and-2, while the jointmember B is brought out in Figures 3 and 4'. I

Referring now more'particularlyto Figures 1 and 2, the joint member A is shown as carrying,

at one end,a knuckle designated l-ll. This knuckle I0 is formed integrally with the member A and has anoutercylindrically shaped wall II that terminatesat shoulders l2, which are continued up above'the wall'll. -A hollowstud'of ring-like formation-is carried by the knuckle l0, asdesignated at I3. This stud is of appreciable thickness and hasanupper ring-like surface M.

This stud I3 is interiora1ly'threade'd, as shown at I5, and the threaded bore-continued through th kr uckle .5 H. Intermediate the stud l3-andthe outerwall I l the knuckle I0 is formed -wi-tha groove I B designed to constitute a part of-a' ball race. Between the shoulders l2 the-joint member A is formed witha section of a cylindrica-l surface which is designated I'1 This cylindricah surface ll has substantially the same curvature and center as the'cylindricahwall H.-'- f Referring now-"more particularlyto Figures '3 and 4, the joint mernber B'isshown as-carrying aknuckl-e l8-at its free end,and this knuckle I8 is complemental to the knuckle'llll The member [8 has an outer cylindrical-wall 19 that ter-' minates at shoulders 20,1'and between the shoulders 2i] the-joint member Bis -formed"-with a curved wal'l 2i having substantially the same curvature and center as the wall I 1 The knuckle-l8 is'formedwith a cylindrical bore 22 that is designed to snugly'receive the stud 13. This bore 22is'fiare'd 'a t 'one endto provide a truncated conical surface 23 that terminatesin a small ring-likecylindricalwall '24. Intermediate the bore 22 and theoi'i'ter'cylindrical wall IS the knuckle I8 isforme'd with a groove 25 that is complemental to the groove l5 in'the knuckle [li andcooperates therewith t'o definea race. v E. I l- Whenthe k uckles ll) and l8""are assembled, the stud I3 is snugly-received in 'thebore 22; The grooves l6 and'25fldefine a"ba-1l-race,and it is notable that the cylindrical'surfa'ce 'l lj'onthe knuckle Ill engages the "cylindrical wall2'l on the joint member B, and conversely the cylin-,

'ments, such as the ball bearingsshown at 26,

are placed in the ballrace defined byathe v grooves l6 and 25.

Referring, for the moment, more particularly to Figure 5, a screw stem is designated 21 and is exteriorally threaded, as shown at 28. stem has a head 29 formed at the outer portion of its underface with a truncated conical surface 30 thatis complemental to the truncated conical surface 23 on the knuckle I8. The head 29 has an outer cylindrical surface 3| which is designed drioal surface'24 of the knuckle l8. The head 29 is also formed with tool engaging means such as the slot shown at 32. It is notable that intermediate the conical surface 30 and the threads 28- there is. a flat ringlike surface 33, and an opening extends from this surface 33 through the head 29 to the outer flat face thereof. 1 This openingis .threaded,:and is designated 34. A set screw .35 of.a .type designed to meet the particular conditions voftuse is threaded into this opening 34. The set .screw 35, at its outer or free end, isformedwith a non-circularrecess 36 which is designed to constitute a Wrench engagingmeans. The innerend of this set screw 36 is formed with acup-like recess 31 that definesa ring-like biting edge 38. Referring now to. Figure 6, it. will'be noted that with the knuckles l0 and I8 assembled in the manner aforesaid, and with the bearingelements 2B in position, the screw stem 21 may be screwed into the threaded opening 15. 1

3 IA thrustbearing designated 39, and preferably of a non-metallic materialsuch as Celluloid,,is

carried on the conical surface,2 3,, and the screw stem 21 is threadeddown until .the conical surface 30engages this thrust bearing-39. .Whenma desired degree of tightness is obtained a, wrench of appropriate design is inserted in the rece'ss36 and the set screw 35 tightened until .the ring.- like edge 38 bites into theface M to set up the required lock.

1 It is-obvious that with this. arrangement the screw stem 21 is maintained in lockedrelationship with respect to the stud l3.t0.maintain the joint assembled at adesired adjustment. This is particularly important becausethe screw stem may be so tightened as to completely, eliminate any'looseness or play, and the .conditionmaim tained by the locking efiects. e1 v "Moreover, the particular type of locking means cannot: in anyway afiect or disturb the .nicety of the fit between the knuckles. These parts are machined with a high degree of. accuracy,-and it is important that this'accuracy remainundisturbed by the locking .means, otherwisesthere would be a tendency for the jointto bind.

5 While a preferred specific embodiment of the This --to be snugly received within the ring-like cylinmember carrying at one end a knuckle, the knuckles on said joint members being complemental, one of said knuckles being formed with an opening, the other knuckle being formed with a hollow stud that is received in said opening, said stud having an interiorly threaded surface, a screw stem threaded into the stud and having a head, and a set screw carried by said head and having an end adapted to engage the said stud to lock the screw stem in adjusted position.

2. A hinge joint of the character described comprising a pair of joint members, each joint member carrying at one end a knuckle, the

knuckles on said joint members being complemental, one of said knuckles being formed with an opening, the other knuckle being formed with a hollow stud that is received in said opening, said stud having a threaded bore and pr'esenting an upper fiat ring-like surface, a screw stem threaded into said bore and having a head,

and a set screw carried by said head, said set 

